On paper, the leader of the Greeks in the Trojan War is Agamemnon.  Like so many of the overly ambitious and unscrupulous leaders I’ve had the disgrace of serving under, he is an idiot.

A f______g idiot in every sense of the word.

He sacrificed his own daughter to ensure that the winds blow favorably to Troy.  He is willing to risk the lives of countless men for conquest.

And perhaps most grievously, he alienates, dishonors, and insults the heart and soul of his army, Achilles.  I can’t even remember exactly why but if I recall correctly, it was over a woman.  In any case, this costs the Greeks massively.  A bunch of them get killed because Achilles refuses to fight anymore.  And the absolute killer – it costs the life of Achilles’ best friend and possible lover, Patroclus, who dons Achilles’ armor and weapons to take his place, getting himself sent to the afterlife by Hector, breaker of horses.  As a result, all of Achilles’ equipment is lost.

What happens next is profoundly telling.  His mother, a demi goddess, visits Hephaestus, the god of the forge or something like that.  She asks him to build new armor and weapons for her son.

And he does.

The passages in the Iliad describing these are memorable, especially the one referring to his shield.  The god adorns it with depicts the sun god among scenes of human life.  It is a symbol of heroism and strength.  Achilles returns to the war and exacts revenge – Old Testament style.  He’s not fighting for his idiot king anymore but for something else.  Maybe love.

I think this one is about rearming and returning to one’s calling.   Also the restoration of faith.

My DA Chief and I talked about the M. Night Shyamalan movie Signs – where a disillusioned minister walks away from his position after his wife dies, mumbling what he thinks are incoherent phrases.  But those phrases and other seemingly random events all play a part in saving his family later on.  Faith restored, the last scene is him wearing his collar again.

There are massively stupid and selfish people out there.  I have a list.  They will be baptized one way or the other at some point.

But there are also really good people out there. 

And God.

Several people tell me to ask Him for his presence.  This is actually good advice.  It is about more than just comfort or reassurance.  I could adopt a pet to do that or buy a plant.  This is more about the promise that He can and will take care of things.

The shield of Achilles, Signs, and more are also about intricate design.  While the mark of a master is simplicity, this often disguises the complex work behind manny things.

Including our lives.